I stared in the direction where that man disappeared for a long time. After running almost the entire night, this was the longest period I stopped from moving. But all the fatigue slowly crept into my body, which I tried squashing down by slapping myself awake.
"He said if I go on that path, I will reach a village before dawn," I mumbled while pushing myself up to stand. My knees still wobbled, but I managed. My eyes caught the severed arm not far away from me, making me jump back on instinct.
"This didn't happen," I denied, even though a headless corpse was right in front of me! Seeing it now made me recall how that man stomped his head and how the human bat's eyes bled first before everything popped.
I shut my eyes and shook my head while clenching my teeth. I tried to forget that memory in my head, but to avail. All I could do was distract myself and bury it at the back of my mind.
"You'll be fine," I told myself, patting my chest as I turned around from the remains. I let out a sharp exhale, gazing at the path created by thick trees. It was still dark, but after spending some time in this darkness, my vision adjusted.
"That path he said." I nodded and forced a step forth. My body felt heavy with each step, but I couldn't stop now.
No one was coming after me anymore. All I had to do was go to that village and then...
My thoughts trailed off, thinking of what to do next. What did I expect that would happen once I reach civilization again? They would definitely not be that kind to welcome someone like me with open arms. I gazed down to check my dirty bodice and ripped skirt. I looked no less than a peasant.
"Nevermind," I murmured and shook my head once again. "I will just figure it out later."
The way was still far, so I had more time to ponder about the course of my life. By now, I knew already that I had to forget the life I was used to. I was on my own now and that thought... that reality was the hardest pill to swallow.
I still dragged my feet even though tears rolled down my cheek like a river. It was not the change of lifestyle that I cared about, but the truth that I couldn't see my family ever again. That all of them were just part of my memories now.
It hurts... and I missed them already.
Why... did Mother make me promise to survive when all of them didn't? It would be better if I just died back there alongside them. The pain, guilt, anger, and all emotions I never felt before swelled in my heart.
"Why... me?" came out a muffled question while I wiped my tears with my arms. I was like a lost girl, crying deep in the woods asking the same question, "why?"
I cried until there were no more tears to shed and no voice to speak. I didn't stop in my steps, though. I had to move to get to my next destination. But after walking for a long time, I stopped only to realize I was back on the original path before that human bat caught up to me. I looked back, only to realize I was lost.
Or am I...?
Did I truly get lost? Or did my feet drag me back in here?
I gazed ahead. That man said if I go straight down this path, I would see a big tree; he would be there, he said. I clutched the rear of my skirt as hard as I could, taking a deep breath before pivoting on my heel in the right direction of the village.
'Why... would I go to him?' I wondered internally, keeping my eyes ahead without looking back. 'Why would he wait for a stranger? What is there in me that people kept choosing me?'
All the whys and wherefores my mother could never answer slowly shifted on that man's shoulder to bear. The list of whys kept piling up, making me clasp my hands into a tight fist.
*******
Meanwhile, in the wide forest clearing, sat a naked man under the oak tree. His back against the thick trunk while casually tearing a huge leaf to kill some time.
"Will she come?" he murmured, pausing and gazing up at the direction ahead. There was still no sign of that woman earlier.
"It's still early," he said, and he gazed at the sky, only to see that the dark sky had changed into a dark shade of blue. "Tch. I wonder if there is a way to stop sunrise from approaching."
He kept his eyes up and watched how the dark blue became lighter. But there were still no signs of her. The longer he waited, his hope that she would take a leap of faith decreased. This had annoyed the man as he clicked his tongue and ruffled his hair.
"Whatever!" he exclaimed and jumped back to his feet. "It's her..."
His brows rose as he turned his head in a direction after hearing hurried footsteps from a distance. It didn't take that long when his eyes dilated at seeing a woman running towards him like a bull.
"You came?" he whispered, but before he could feel relief, his brows furrowed. The woman just kept on running towards him and grabbed his arm as soon as she reached his vantage point.
Her hands were cold and sweating. She rested her other hand on her thigh while catching her breath as if she had run a mile. He wondered if she just changed her mind while on her way to the village since this glade wasn't far from where he left her.
"Why?" were her first words, causing his brows to knit. "Why should I not regret this?"
Her last inquiry sounded forced as she gazed up at him. The man blinked twice, staring into those enchanting pair of amethyst.
"Why must I survive?" she threw another question in between her deep breaths, desperate to hear a reasonable answer so she could go on.
The man pressed his lips into a thin line, fluttering his long lashes that shielded his golden eyes. He let out a shallow breath before his plump lips parted.
"Instead of asking why must you survive, why not ask why must you die unjustly, Bambi?"
There was a moment of silence between them as the sun had finally peeked through the horizon and soon devoured the darkness. Its soft ray of lights hit the side of their faces, making the two finally see each other clearly. The birds had also chirped that soon resonated across the forest, signaling for a new day.
"Good morning, Bambi." The side of his lips curled up into a smirk without taking his eyes off of her breathtaking beauty. "You survived the night. Now... it's time to collect my rewards, correct?"